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2010 Meng Song Green Puer Mini Toucha from Pure Puer TeaFri, 02 Nov 2012 21:40:17 -0400/teas/2010%20Meng%20Song%20Green%20Puer%20Mini%20Toucha/28260-2010-meng-song-green-puer-mini-toucha?note=137719
2010 Meng Song Green Puer Mini Toucha from Pure Puer TeaInteresting tea, well worth drinking, but not for the less adventurous among us. After washing and awakening the half toucha I used, the air was filled with a pronounced wild, vegetal aroma with a sweetness bordering on unpleasantness. It was not offensive, but probably would back off some people, but that is as far as it went. We have a horse farm located about 4 miles from a very famous bourbon distillery here in central KY, the aroma of this tea is very reminiscent of that of roasting sour mash from the distillery. Initially strong and perhaps unpleasant, but quickly turning comforting and reassuring that all is as it should be.
First steep - Lt color (think Ginger ale)
- The first taste begins innocently enough, unremarkable, however, when reaching mid-palate, things start to get interesting. A rather unexpected taste begins rising. A green taste, but not of grass, more like arugula,a peppery, vegetal taste. Surprising, yet not unpleasant. The finish is clean while leaving a lingering tingle -- no astringency or bitterness.
Overall first infusion: Light color, uneventful beginning, surprising mid-palate flavor with a clean, complete and memorable finish.
2nd infusion: 30 sec.
Darker color, more refined aroma- definitely moving into a more familiar "tea" smell. The taste is still building as if we are travelling deeper into the forest. Woodsy and wild, becoming more complex.
This is not a great tea, but it is a pleasant adventure. It evolves quickly and even after 4 or 5 infusions, changes, albeit predictable, are still occurring. The only truly bad aspect I found was that when this tea cools bitterness appears. Almost to the point of undrinkability.
Not a tea to drink everyday, but good on occasion and I'm sure it would work well with chili or vinegar. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 21:41:27 -0400/teas/2010%20Meng%20Song%20Green%20Puer%20Mini%20Toucha/28260-2010-meng-song-green-puer-mini-toucha?note=137720
Cornfields Shu Tuocha from Verdant TeaGiven the choice, I inevitably choose shu puerh. Truth be told, I like this tea, although I'm finding it difficult to find the tell-tale characteristics of a traditional shu.
The aroma of the dry Tou-Cha is unremarkable. After a quick wash and warm up, the aroma emitted from this tea is really amazing....sweet corn with butter roasted over a fire. Appealing.
First infusion: 5 sec - light liquor, straight forward corn smell, no complaints. The flavor is as advertised--corny. Clean, refreshing, and direct. I'm not finding a lot of complexity, just corn, butter in a velvety mouth coating.
After many, many short infusions, still only about 10-15 secs, I'm getting a beautiful amber color with consistent aroma and flavor. I'm trying hard to detect some other subtle flavors or hints, but apart from a pleasant tingle in the center of my tongue, I'm getting only corn.
Two extraordinary attributes this puer displays are endurance and throat. This Tou-Cha will outlast my drinking session. It has a LOT of life in it. Secondly, and probably the highlight of this tea, is its persistent, clean throat. This tea leaves me happy after I swallow. Sniffing the cup is as enjoyable as the taste, and probably more memorable. Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:27:10 -0500/teas/Cornfields%20Shu%20Tuocha/19262-cornfields-shu-tuocha?note=138437
2006 Mini Black Puer Tea Toucha 5g from Pure Puer TeaI've been chiseling around on a fairly obscure puerh cake my Father-in-law gave me for a few months now. I've been wondering what my next everyday, "workhorse" tea would be. I think I've found it!! This little Tou-Cha has all the characteristics of a quality and comfortable puer.
After having a hot bath, everyone in the house is greeted with a fairly concentrated and heavy aroma of leather and moss. My first drinking infusion (after two 30sec rinses) is only 3-4 seconds, producing a caramel colored liquor that is bursting with assertive flavors. This tea penetrates my palate on a couple different levels even on the first infusion. Strong woodsy flavor in the front turns to velvety sweetness on the back of the tongue. Overall a warm comfortable aura envelops me when I'm holding a small cup of this shu.
Second, third and forth infusions:
Because of the short infusions (still mere seconds), this tea builds different, complicated flavors on top of each other. I know they are there because I can taste them. Unfortunately, my palate is not so discriminating as to adequately describe them. They start fairly wild and end exceeding sweet and smooth.
Nostalgia is playing a part in my very favorable review of this tea. A couple of years ago my wife's Father (who is a fairly well know actor in Malaysia) took us all to a very popular Bak Kut Teh restaurant in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. BKT is a herbal soupy stew that is both delicious and touted as being very nutritious. In a culture where "food is medicine", an outstanding (and probably expensive) puerh was served with the meal. After commenting on the quality of the tea, I got "the look" from my Father-in-law. The look of recognition that I had finally, after so many years, developed a discerning palate.
This Puerh reminds me a lot of that meal. It begins strong and assertive. After a couple of infusions, a full-bodied mellowing leads into a complex melding of flavor and aroma. Mushroom and leather are the predominate inclinations with hints of cinnamon, and coriander. This tea has amazing endurance, and better yet, it doesn't get bitter or astringent. However, please remember that I kept all infusions to the bare minimum. Even after 6-7 infusions, they were only 10secs.
This is a quality tea which I highly recommend. I purchased this tea from Pure Puer. The customer service from Mr. Chin was unbeatable and a pleasure. I look forward to dealing with them in the future.
Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:27:31 -0500/teas/2006%20Mini%20Black%20Puer%20Tea%20Toucha%205g/31793-2006-mini-black-puer-tea-toucha-5g?note=138759
Mi Lan Dancong Black from Verdant TeaThis is a special tea!!! I just received this sample. Next thing on my list is to order some more of this stuff!
The dry leaves emit a very nice floral, jasminy aroma; very pleasant and inviting. With the addition of very hot water, pure magic springs to life. The wet leaves smell as expected with a very slight and pleasant sourness (vaguely like the smell of fermenting grain or hops). There is a tanginess that is present in the taste of the first steep. There are a lot of delicious flavors in the first couple steeps, predominately cocoa and sweet spice in the beginning which turns to floral flavors later on. This tea has great rhythm. The evolution of flavor from cup to cup is like watching a Wagner Opera: you never know what's coming next, but you will surely find it enjoyable.
I'm amazed at the shear numbers of apparent and subtle flavors culminating in a memorable tingle and a perfectly clean throat. This is a memorable tea! Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:48:13 -0500/teas/Mi%20Lan%20Dancong%20Black/28564-mi-lan-dancong-black?note=138881
Anxi Benshan Oolong from Enjoying TeaA very generous sample from Enjoying Tea.com. I bought a couple Gaiwan and and this tin came along. For some unknown reason, my oolong collection is almost exclusively made up of Taiwan oolongs. I think I went through a phase of trying to decipher the subtleties of high quality, lightly oxidized Taiwan high mountain teas. Undoubtedly, these Taiwan teas are light, bright, fresh, fragrant and subtle. It seems, probably because my palate lacks sophistication, that I prefer a more robust, assertive flavor profile.
This Fujian oolong displays a fairly strong, tobacco-y dry leaf scent. Quite strong, but once rinsed and heated transforms into a pleasant roasty nuttiness. Obviously, this tea has undergone a modest amount of oxidation producing a yellowish - lt. brown liquor that is pleasing to the eye.
I had to experiment a little to get the my desired water-to-leaf-to-flavor ratio. The first steep was fine, but I thought this tea had better potential. I added a bit more leaf and steeped a bit longer and was impressed with how much deeper the flavor evolved. I was able to coax out a hearty, nutty swallow. As my cup cools, maybe a little leathery hint arises. Unlike Taiwan oolongs I've tried, this tea almost entirely lacks any floral aroma. On the upside, this tea has better endurance than most Taiwan teas.
Overall, this is not a great oolong, but it is a pleasant cup. Worthy to be served to company as long as the company isn't too fancy.Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:29:28 -0500/teas/Anxi%20Benshan%20Oolong/1271-anxi-benshan-oolong?note=139177
Laoshan Genmaicha from Verdant TeaAnother seriously good tea from Verdant. Everything I try from them exceeds my expectations!!
Genmaicha has for years had its own place in our cabinet. The ubiquitous purple and yellow box is a stable on our shopping list. Genmaicha is as common in our house as Sriracha or oyster sauce. It is a comfortable, dependable friend.
Sometimes our dependable friends surprise us. This Verdant GMC is an energized version of my humble friend.
Having a beautiful appearance and a familiar GMC aroma, I really wasn't expecting an exceedingly memorable experience. Genmaicha is genmaicha, right? Wrong!!
The look is familiar as is the color of the liquor. Even the taste is familiar, but it is a familiar taste raise by a factor or 3 or 4 in intensity and quality. It truly is like the difference between those single serving ice cream cups you hand out to the kids at a birthday party and a super premium Haagen Daz. This is Genmaicha as I've never known it.
This tea is warm and wholesome. It has a very nice nuttiness and has an undeniable sweet, clean throat. I thought I was mistaken at first, but the lingering sweet ending is consistent and very pleasing. This is a completely clean brew.
From beginning to end this is a superior product. As long as I can afford it, this will be my new everyday Genmaicha. Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:40:25 -0500/teas/Laoshan%20Genmaicha/30507-laoshan-genmaicha?note=139522
2006 Jujube Aroma Puerh Tuocha from PuerhShop.comA handful of these little guys showed up in the mailbox today. They are cute little flat disks. I told my little boy (5YO) that they were candy. His excitement was short-lived.
Anyway, I tossed one into my Yixing pot,and gave it a quick wash. The dry tuocha aroma was unremarkable. With the addition of hot water, the tea comes to life. I was surprised to see the cake break apart so quickly, but this doesn't seem to affect its endurance. I'm on number 6 or 7 steep, and this tea is showing no signs of waning.
The aroma of the wet leaves is fairly typical puerhy. Leather, wet soil, barky are my first impressions...all favorable and not overwhelming. There is a hint of ....hmmm... maybe soapiness, in a nice way. A slightly refreshing aromatic ending. Maybe they say this is the date, but its kinda soapy for me.
As for the taste, this one is smooth. In my opinion, this relatively thick, deep mahogany colored liquor is one of the smoothest and mellowest I've tasted. This attribute is the high point for this tea. What it has in smoothness, it lacks in depth of flavor. From steep to steep, there is a certain monotony in this tea. An expert would refer to this as "lack of rhythm". With an undoubtedly pleasant taste, I am not too disappointed. I just would like to be able to decipher an evolution of flavors. This tea leaves me with a reasonably clean finish, but without that certain numbing pleasantness we can see in really good Puerhs.
The positive: clean, pleasant flavor, good endurance, nice aroma.
The negative: lack of rhythm.
Overall a nice tea and well worth drinking. Also the quality/price ratio is very high.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:07:19 -0500/teas/2006%20Jujube%20Aroma%20Puerh%20Tuocha/15889-2006-jujube-aroma-puerh-tuocha?note=139672
TieGuanYin Monkey Picked-Oolong from Zen TeaI can't say whether I favor Oolong over Puerh. A good oolong is hard to beat. Of course, unlike Puerh, oolong spans a wide range of flavor profiles. Personally, I prefer highly oxidized, heavily roasted oolongs. Because of my own preferences, most of my favorites come out of Fujian, and not Taiwan. Most tea experts find Taiwan high mountain teas superior because of their floral bouquet and complex, light flavor. I don't doubt that they are correct, and maybe my palate will one day evolve to expert status. However, right now, I like this.
Opening this bountiful sample from Zen Tea, the aroma was warm and roasty. The tea is dark; fully oxidized. After a quick wash, the brilliant aroma of Fall in the north comes to mind. Leaves, spices, apple cider, a fire in the fireplace.
The taste is just as pleasant as the aroma. There are a lot of flavors in this tea, and all of them are welcome. This tea possesses high notes mostly of spice, maybe nutmeg or hints of cinnamon. There is a sweetness in the taste, especially after the roastiness subsides. The sweetness is that of corn or tomatoes not sugar or flowers. I think this tea is loaded with umami-like flavors, both overt and subtle. This makes me want to drink more. The more times I steep, the roasted qualities fade and the sweeter aspects prevail. This tea has very nice body, depth and a clean finish.
I like oxidized oolongs in general, and I very much like this specific TieGuanYin from Zen Tea.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:40:37 -0500/teas/TieGuanYin%20Monkey%20Picked-Oolong/30493-tieguanyin-monkey-picked-oolong?note=139683
2008 Panchen Lama Mushroom Tuo cha from PuerhShop.comSat, 17 Nov 2012 19:14:21 -0500/teas/2008%20Panchen%20Lama%20Mushroom%20Tuo%20cha/16425-2008-panchen-lama-mushroom-tuo-cha?note=139955
2008 Panchen Lama Mushroom Tuo cha from PuerhShop.comI purchased this cake because of the price, shape and name. Obviously this was named in honor of Panchen Lama Norbu not Nyima, otherwise, the PRC would never let it see the light of day on western shores. I digress and don't want to cause any political arguments here.
Anyway, I can't say how pleasantly surprised I was with the quality of this Puer. I wrestled with the mushroom shape trying to break a modest piece off. I got a little bit bigger piece than I wanted, but gave it a go.
Because I had more cake than necessary, it was important to keep the steeps as short as possible. This worked wonderfully. Over many, many, many steeps, I was rewarded with a rich, full-bodied tea. This tea produced an impressive depth of flavor; typical puer flavors of earth, leather and finally pleasant salted mushrooms. Nothing spectacular as far as flavor or aroma, just solid, hearty and healthy flavors. As stated earlier, I kept the steeps very short,therefore I never encountered a harsh or bitter note.
Overall, this puer exemplifies only positive qualities: price point, flavor, aroma, and endurance. Sat, 17 Nov 2012 19:41:49 -0500/teas/2008%20Panchen%20Lama%20Mushroom%20Tuo%20cha/16425-2008-panchen-lama-mushroom-tuo-cha?note=139956
2003 Farmer's Cooperative (Mt. Banzhang) Wild Arbor Sheng from Verdant TeaI've been drinking a lot of Puer lately. Truth be told, they sometimes run together or are remarkable for the wrong reasons. Much to my relief and happiness, today I've found a puer that is a standout because of its high quality.
I thought I might have had a wrong ratio at first. The first couple steeps lacked that typical puer "bite" that I have come to expect. I fiddled around with the amount of leaf in my small Yixing until I was sure I had to be on the max amount. Even then the brew was as smooth and mellow as any puer. Only when I left it sit in the pot an unthinkable amount of time was I able to find any trace of bitterness.
The first few steeps produced a very flavorful tea with a significant tingle and very pleasant throat. I was left with impressions of marinated grape leaves smoked over a campfire. The smell of that same campfire deep in a misty forest early in the morning is coming out of my little cup right now.
I've been drinking this pot for more than 4 hrs now. The taste has evolved immensely from when I began. What began as direct, slightly wild, and smoky has become a very, very pleasant mellow sweetness. I started drinking this with a nice European chocolate laced with cayenne, which worked nicely, but switched to lightly salted almonds and pistachios now. Both of these combinations really made this puer "pop" or maybe the other way around.
I think Verdant has a stellar line-up in their stable of tea. Although this puer probably isn't at the top of their list of stars, it surely deserves significant recognition for quality, in my opinion.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:06:30 -0500/teas/2003%20Farmer's%20Cooperative%20(Mt.%20Banzhang)%20Wild%20Arbor%20Sheng/19246-2003-farmers-cooperative-mt-banzhang-wild-arbor-sheng?note=140291
Pu-erh loose from Zen TeaThis plain foil sample pack arrived from Zen tea labeled simply Puerh Loose leaf. There was no notation of what vintage or what farm or factory crafted this tea. I'm getting skeptical at this point. However, I have tried and liked very much both of the other teas I have tried from Zen Tea. Therefore, I proceeded with a cautious optimism.
After depositing the sample into my small puer Yixing and giving it a rinse, I was greeted by a very robust, peaty aroma. Very strong tobacco and leather notes were being emitted from this first steep. I prepared myself for a very assertive brew.
In an effort to minimize the possibility of even an unpleasant swallow, I usually, at first, keep the steeps short. Even with a short steep, I received a inky, thick first cup. So far we have a very robust aroma coupled with a dark, thick consistency... First sip... It depends on which part of my tongue!!! There were too many different and varied flavors swimming around in my mouth. Some I could probably assign a flavor, but most not. None however were bad. Moreover, they were all as harmonious as the Vienna Boys Choir!!!!
All the flavors layer on top of each other seemlessly. Following steepings did not disappoint either. The flavor has moderated a bit, while not becoming more complex, but still very pleasant. This puer also has great endurance. I will not be able to outlast these leaves.
Perhaps I'm losing part of my logical faculties, or perhaps something otherworldly, BUT.... I can clearly taste the aroma of Iveron or Svir after each sip. These are both types of incense used at my church (Russian Orthodox), but I don't have any at home nor have any unwashed clothes around that may carry the scent. I don't know, but it is very pleasant, if not a bit strange.
Again, I want to thank Zen tea for the sample. It made for a very enjoyable drinking session. I'm very pleased with this unidentified puer!Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:05:21 -0500/teas/Pu-erh%20loose/30499-pu-erh-loose?note=140465
Fengqing Ancient Tree Spring Chun Jian Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2012 from TeavivreI've been away for a bit. However, if anyone cares, I am now a tandem reviewer. With great pleasure and endless frustration, my dear father-in-law is visiting for a few months and will be teaching me how to properly evaluate tea!! He is a fairly well recognized actor who starred in the highest grossing Malaysian movie to date. Nonetheless, he is a kind old man who has tolerated a white devil son-in-law, therefore I hold him in fairly high esteem. He has (of course) been drinking Chinese tea for his entire life (>7 decades). I'll try to be a good student. Anyway, onto the tea!
I humbly express a huge "thank you" to Angel for the generous samples.
Sheng Ancient tree Puerh
Dry aroma: puerh, not remarkable
Wet aroma: sweet, honey, freshly cut cherry or maple...Pleasant and exciting
Yixing small pot...208F 30-45 sec after two washes (substantial discussions with Chinese grandfather as to the reason, but OK)
First steep: (I'm going to go narrative from here on because the flow, as the tea demand it). The pre-drink aroma was pleasant if unremarkable, but the first sip was oddly delicious and a bit scary. My mind thought, "strange brew", but I must have more. This is definately Puerh, but Puerh with a funny, not unpleasant twist. I couldn't put a finger on the curiosity....therefore I had to wake my wife to translate for Mr Lim (my FIL) He did a lot of gesturing and loud talking to express himself. Turns out, he was saying "cats should be grass" "Mao Xu Cao" which translates into Orthosiphonius (Chinese herb). He was quite excited at this point.
The second steep was for three. My wife joined us in the evaluation. This tea is getting stronger and smoother. The partakers are becoming happier. An interesting thing happened at this point. My esteemed Father-in-law began speaking about the goodness, tastiness of the bitterness. I hadn't noticed much if any bitterness, except for a little bite at the end. What I might have thought as a detriment, my father knew as an attribute.... New way of thinking and tasting....
He is correct. He has experience. I could explain the taste in terms of barkyness or mossiness, but I will simply say that this tea has everything you might expect from a sheng puerh, but it has a significance that appeals to the novice and is noticed by the expert.
This is a tea that should be tasted because it has some uncommon attributes that are exceedingly pleasant.
Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:41:40 -0500/teas/Fengqing%20Ancient%20Tree%20Spring%20Chun%20Jian%20Raw%20Pu-erh%20Cake%20Tea%202012/27073-fengqing-ancient-tree-spring-chun-jian-raw-pu-erh-cake-tea-2012?note=142713
Mengku Palace Ripened Golden Buds Loose Pu-erh Tea 2007 from TeavivreThis is a very pleasant puer!!! It seems I have been drinking almost exclusively puer lately. This is probably due to the fact that my dear wife's stomach is acting up and Puer is the only tea she can drink. The Chinese attribute a lot of health benefits to Puer, and in a culture where, "food is medicine", puer does seem like a very healthy drink. If even half of its attributed benefits are true, I should live be ~178.
Anyway, I'm rambling...onto the tea
Usually one can describe puer specifically, and tea generally in associative terms, i.e. leathery, nutty etc. This puer, however, is a little different. Both the aroma and the taste don't necessarily have noteworthy associations. Rather, this tea is pure, clean, whole, complete. I'm really enjoying this! It is soooo smooth and crisp, not like tea at all.
I normally steep puer short, from 5-15 sec. After several short steeps (all enjoyable cups), I decided to let it steep for 90 secs to see what would happen. I was yet again rewarded with a smooth, subtle and wholesome cup.
I enthusiastically recommend this tea. Not because of its complex flavors, but because of its complex nature.Sat, 08 Dec 2012 19:01:48 -0500/teas/Mengku%20Palace%20Ripened%20Golden%20Buds%20Loose%20Pu-erh%20Tea%202007/26555-mengku-palace-ripened-golden-buds-loose-pu-erh-tea-2007?note=143423
Taiwan Dong Ding (Tung Ting) Oolong Tea from TeavivreTHANKS TO ANGEL FOR THIS SAMPLE...THEY ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED
These are beautiful leaves and so aromatic. This tea is extremely satisfying even before the first sip. It may sound a bit geeky, but to watch these vibrant green leaves open up and release an undeniably beautiful aroma could be considered a transcendent experience.
The somewhat grassy dry aroma, when awakened, blossoms into a very green, asparagus-like aroma mixed with floral overtones. A very enticing lt. green liquor also emits a slight evergreen scent.
This lightly oxidized oolong possesses a delicate taste that is pleasing and noteworthy enough even to someone (me) who usually demands and enjoys the big, bold tastes of shu puer. The taste has the complexity most will enjoy. Green beany, asparagusy vegetal predominate, but there are a host of others which I am unable to concisely identify. Nonetheless, multiple flavors abound in this cup.
Obviously, this is a high quality tea,possessing attributes typical of many good Taiwan oolongs. This tea has a very clean, pleasant throat. A subtle throat belonging to a subtle tea. One shouldn't expect more.
My only regret regarding this oolong is that I exhausted the leaves when I could have drunk more.
This is a very nice, complete oolong with no obvious flaws. Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:05:08 -0500/teas/Taiwan%20Dong%20Ding%20(Tung%20Ting)%20Oolong%20Tea/23207-taiwan-dong-ding-tung-ting-oolong-tea?note=143519